As beef, dairy and other livestock industries develop around the world; various market demands generate a need to transport livestock over great distances. In some cases transoceanic and intercontinental shipments may be desirable. Such shipments can be made relatively quickly by airborne transport, but at a great expense, especially for heavier cargo. For heavier cargo, such as livestock, a need exists for waterborne transport which can take between four days and forty five days or more to arrive at a final destination. Therefore, a need exists for a specialized shipping container for transporting livestock and method for shipping livestock over extended periods.
Unlike typical cargo, livestock require a steady supply of suitable food, water, air and at least some level of climate or temperature control in order to promote good health. These basic requirements are further complicated by the fact that livestock produce waste during their confinement in shipping containers. Therefore, an unresolved need exists for a shipping container that promotes livestock health over the course of long shipments.
Major concerns in the shipment of livestock, or other animals, can include providing for a clean source of drinking water. Given the amount of water some livestock, such as bovine, consume daily, the additional space and weight of the drinking water can become costly. Regardless of the water source, a further problem exists in that water must be reliably delivered to one or more shipping containers in an accessible manner, otherwise livestock will become dehydrated and may potentially die. In a transoceanic shipment, the shipping containers can undergo extreme weather conditions and exposure to extreme elements, such as salt water, freezing temperatures, extreme heat, and extreme humidity. Therefore, a need exists for systems and methods for reliably supplying water to one or more shipping containers in extreme elements.
A need exists for a system of modular shipping containers configurable into arrays, which includes a robust water delivery system for providing water to each of the shipping containers in the system. A need exists for a water system adaptable to various configurations for the variety of potential shipping arrangements of the shipping container arrays.
Still a further need exists for a modular shipping container which can be maintained for long periods on the relative isolation of a shipping vessel.